Did the Resurrection really happen? And why does it matter?

At Easter, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ (As we do every Sunday!). But Easter raises two very important questions.

Did the resurrection really happen? And why does it matter for us today?

Those are not small questions. In fact, they are right at the heart of Christianity. Whether you are someone who has trusted in Jesus for many years, someone who is still exploring, or someone who has real doubts, these are questions worth considering carefully.

The resurrection is not a side issue in the Christian faith. Christianity rises and falls on the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then Christianity falls apart. But if he truly did rise, in history, in time and space, then it changes everything.

That is exactly what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15. He writes that if Christ has not been raised, then Christian preaching is useless, faith is futile, we are still in our sins, and those who have died trusting in Christ are lost. In other words, if the resurrection did not happen, Christianity is empty.

But if Jesus really is risen, then his resurrection confirms that he is who he claimed to be. It verifies that what he taught is true. It shows that his death on the cross really did accomplish salvation for sinners. The resurrection confirms Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

So, did it happen?

One thing that stands out in 1 Corinthians 15 is that Paul treats the resurrection as a real event in history. He is not speaking about a vague spiritual idea, a symbol of hope, or a metaphor for new beginnings. He is speaking about something that actually happened.

In verses 3–8, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the message he received and passed on to them: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to many witnesses.

That matters. Jesus died. He was buried. He was raised. He was seen. And in saying that Jesus appeared to many, Paul is describing out-in-the-public events.

He says that Jesus appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at the same time, many of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this letter. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and finally to Paul himself.

That is remarkable. Paul is effectively saying to his readers: this happened, and there are witnesses. Go and ask them.

This letter was written within a relatively short time of the events themselves. These were not legends that had developed centuries later. It’s not mythology. The resurrection was being proclaimed while many eyewitnesses were still living. That is a very different thing from folklore.

And that helps explain why Christianity spread so rapidly in the first century. After Jesus’ death, the disciples were frightened and scattered. Yet very soon they became bold proclaimers of the risen Christ. What changed them? According to the New Testament, they saw Jesus alive.

It is difficult to explain the rise of the Christian church apart from the resurrection. A number of the earliest Christians died for their faith, because they were convinced that Jesus had conquered death.

Paul also says twice that Jesus died and was raised “according to the Scriptures.” That is, the resurrection was not an unexpected twist in God’s plan. It had been promised throughout the Old Testament.

The Bible had long prepared us for the pattern of death and resurrection. Abraham receiving Isaac back as though from death, Jonah emerging after three days, Joseph raised from the pit to rule, Job’s confidence that he would see his Redeemer, Hosea’s language of revival on the third day, Daniel’s promise of resurrection at the end… all of these prepare us to understand what God would ultimately do in Christ.

The resurrection of Jesus is not an isolated miracle dropped into the story at random. It is the fulfilment of God’s saving purposes revealed throughout Scripture.

That brings us to the second question: so what?

Why does the resurrection matter for us?

It matters because the resurrection tells us that Jesus’ death really achieved what he said it would achieve. If Christ has been raised, then his sacrifice for sin has been accepted. If he has been raised, then believers are not still in their sins. If he has been raised, then our faith is not empty, and our hope is not wishful thinking.

The resurrection is the proof that the cross worked: Sin paid for, death defeated.

You could think of it like a receipt. When something has been fully paid for, the receipt confirms that the payment has been made. In a similar way, the resurrection shows that Jesus has paid the debt of sin in full. How do we know that forgiveness is really available through him? Because he is alive. How do we know that those who trust in him are accepted by God? Because he is risen.

The resurrection means there is hope beyond guilt, beyond shame, beyond death itself.

It also means there is hope beyond this life. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” The image of firstfruits is important. In the Bible, the firstfruits were the first part of the harvest, pointing ahead to the full harvest still to come.

Jesus’ resurrection is the firstfruits. He is the beginning of a much greater harvest. His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of all who belong to him.

That means that for the Christian, death does not have the final word. Because Christ has been raised, those united to him by faith will also be raised. His victory becomes ours.

And that gives solid hope in the struggles of ordinary life. It means that sickness, grief, sin, anxiety, disappointment, and even death itself are not the end of the story. If Christ is risen, then there is a future beyond the problems that we experience in life now.

Jesus is not simply a moral example or a wise religious teacher. He is the Saviour who died for sinners and rose again. In every other religion, the emphasis falls on what you must do. Christianity says the decisive thing is what Jesus has done.

That is why the resurrection matters so much. If Jesus stayed in the grave, there is no salvation. But if he is risen, then there is forgiveness, peace with God, and eternal life for all who trust in him.

So this Easter, take a look at Jesus!

Consider the evidence. Read the Scriptures. Listen to the eyewitness testimony preserved in the Bible. Ask the big questions. Christianity welcomes honest investigation, because it is rooted in real events. You’re welcome to get in touch with us and ask questions. We’d love to help you investigate Christianity. We offer a free course called Christianity Explored that does just that- get in touch.